Planting shortleaf pines deeper increases resprouting after fire

Abstract

Unlike loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) seedlings often resprout following topkill from fire because the basal crook their stem produces places dormant buds at the soil surface which insulates them. The primary goal of our study was to compare resprouting following fire of shortleaf pine and loblolly pine with dormant buds placed at three depths: 2 cm above soil surface, at soil surface, and 2 cm below soil surface. We also compared resprouting of containerized versus bare-root shortleaf pine. Seedlings were planted near Idabel, OK, and burned after 1 year. Regardless of planting depth, none of the loblolly pine seedlings resprouted. For shortleaf pine, 8 percent resprouted when planted above the soil surface, 36 percent resprouted when planted at the soil surface, and 53 percent resprouted when planted below the soil surface. Bare-root seedlings resprouted at greater frequency than containerized seedlings. Therefore, planting shortleaf pine seedlings deeper should increase resprouting following fire.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 20th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference

Citation

Meek, Cassandra; Will, Rodney. 2020. Planting shortleaf pines deeper increases resprouting after fire. In: Bragg, Don C.; Koerth, Nancy E.; Holley, A. Gordon, eds. 2020. Proceedings of the 20th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e–Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–253. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 332-335.